who are the original members of reo speedwagon

Convinced that their real drawing power came from the shows themselves, they persuaded Epic to deploy a strategy that had worked for KISS: making a live album to convey how REO really sounded when you saw them. REO Speedwagon is an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Material on this site is provided for education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. In the big business that is rock in its third decade, it takes a lot more than hard work to succeed. REO Speedwagon has recorded 16 studio albums which have sold a total of more than 40 million units. Up until then, the songwriting was credited to the whole bandthat they all wrote the songs togetherbut I think the truth was that it was mostly Gary who would spark (the songs creation) and then the band would get together and jam and finish it. Whats up with the band REO Speedwagon these days? He realized that the band needed songs. Im finding myself waking up in the middle of the night with ideas, and writing them down and recording them. Music is a funny kind of business. He notes the piano track to "Can't Fight This Feeling" was his most difficult studio performance, but is now his favorite part of live concerts. After we did it, Gary and I sat in Johns office and called up radio stations and asked them to play it and see if they got a phone response. It was basically Garys responsibility to write the songs, and I think he realized thatyou know what they saythat you have your whole life to write your first album but only a year to write your second albnm. For others, however, the wait can last for years. The band has released three original albums and one Christmas album since 1990, though they havent captured the audience of their earlier work. And sure enough, it ended up working out. Founding a long-running, successful rock band has always been a long shot. Blair left a few months after Matt, with Gregg Philbin taking his place. For You Can Tune a Piano in 1978, Cronin said, We had a bunch of songs: Roll with the Changes, Time for Me To Fly, Blazing Your Own Trail Again, Sing To Me, and we were cocky about it. In 1954, the company was still underperforming, and sold its vehicle manufacturing operations (the primary asset of the company) to the Bohn Aluminum and Brass Corporation of Detroit. So when theres chaos in your personal life, then you look to the band for that security. That next studio collection is the key to REOs precarious success and the boys in the band know it better than anyone. We saw this happening, so we took it (the album) into our own hands. Normally I go full speed, and every once in a while take a day to rest, but these past two weeks have been bizarre, he said with amazement. Im trained on the guitarI took guitar lessons for years when I was a kid. Formed in 1967, the group originally included guitarist and lead vocalist Joe Matt, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Blair, keyboardistNeal Doughtyand drummer Alan Gratzer. At one time, REO was part of a four-billed show which also included Bob Seger, Ted Nugent and Styx. Horatio Alger never would have made it in rock n roll. and has remained the lead vocalist ever since. [1] We still get mad at each other sometimes, but we work it out. They were the guest band for a Saturday Night Live/SCTV knockoff called Fridays back in 1981. My wife is an amazing person. So I think that really helped for the album, that it felt like all the songs belonged together. Gratzer already had a band, and Doughty began to sit in with them. On July 13, on the way to a show in Milwaukee, they made a stop in Philadelphia to perform at the US leg of Live Aid, which broke a record for number of viewers in person and TV. Shortly afterwards, four of their songs reentered the Billboard rock charts. Even though all of REO's hits came after current lead singer Kevin Cronin joined the band, keyboardist Neal Doughty is the only original member. It was the groups first gold album. Who are the members of REO Speedwagon today? - Short-Fact REO Speedwagon Multiple Choice Quiz | REO Speedwagon | 10 Questions I named my children after they were born and I looked at them, and I saw their little bodies, and they kind of told me what their names should be to some degree. Wed always been known as a strong live band. The original members of REO Speedwagon are: Kevin Cronin on lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and occasionally piano Neal Doughty on keyboard Alan Gratzer on drums, percussion, and backing vocals Gregg Philbin on bass and backing vocals How did REO Speedwagon get its name? And now all the doors that seemed to be closing in REOs face are wide open again if their eighth album has any guts to it at all. I agree 1978s You Can Tune a Piano album did help pave the way for 1980s Hi-Infidelity which to many (myself included) was/is their peak album. Traveling 4,176 miles (6,720km) from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Vancouver, British Columbia, in a 1912 REO special touring car, mechanic/driver Fonce V. (Jack) Haney and journalist Thomas W. Wilby made the first trip by automobile across Canada (including one short jaunt into northeastern Washington State when the Canadian roads were virtually impassable). I saw them in 1997 at the Universal Amphitheater with Survivor and Blondie. At that point, REO had been making music for almost 14 years. DK: Which album was it, where you started to write a good amount of the songs for the group? Before we start the interview, here is some information about REO Speedwagons hit discography, and about the other members of the band, both past and present. But then once I got done with the craftsmanship part of it, I thought HeyI think I could hear this song on the radiopeople might want to listen to it. Its funny, when youre just starting out as a songwriterwhen youre trying to figure things out and see what your path is and where youre headingas I reminisce and think about it, it seems I have these sweet memories of that time. But the records that came before it, the songs that our fans already knew about, like Keep Pushin' and Roll With The Changes and Time For Me To Fly which hadnt really been hits, but our fans knew about them. The cause of death was not given. How many of the original players are in REO Speedwagon? There was this girl in Chicago who Im still in touch with to this daywere still friends. Actually, for the first time in six years, we both like being in the band. Its the first weve done all by ourselves. We fired our producer halfway through, and Gary (Richrath) and I took over.. But endurance in the face of uncertainty has long been a trademark of REO Speedwagon. Last year, we called our tour the Family First Tour. 1980s Hi Infidelity gave the band four Top 40 hits, including the #5 Take It on the Run and the #1 Keep On Loving You. That chart-topper sold a million copies and helped lay the blueprint for the power ballads of that decade; it also didnt hurt that it was paired with one of the first 20 videos to be played on a new cable channel called MTV. And then if Im lucky enough to capture that, then the actual craftsmanship comes into play. "During dress rehearsal, they introduced us as Reo Speedwagon," said Cronin, as reported by Rolling Stone. For some bands, success comes overnight. I remember seeing REO in the stadium days. Subscribe now. "There are actually quite a few people who can say they were members of REO," according to Gratzer. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; By late 1970, REO Speedwagon had finalised its first recording lineup with the addition of guitaristGary Richrathin place of Scorfina. They worked their way through small clubs and venues, as well as through more than a few personnel changes. I know there are many writers who come up with the title and then write the song around the title. REO Motor Car Company - Wikipedia Keep On Loving You (song) - Wikipedia For definitive proof, consider REO Speedwagon. The band also briefly added saxophonist Joe McCabe and trumpeter Marty Shepard to its lineup in 1968. They flew us over to get our gold record. It peaked at number 171 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1981, [1] and reached platinum status in 1989. So when I came to Los Angeles I really wanted to feel the journey. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; With a Continental engine, artillery wheels, and a different pattern of horizontal radiator louvers from the Flying Cloud, the Wolverine was made until 1928. With the tour titled Storming the U.S., tickets for the opening night show in Milwaukee sold out in two days. The words referred to a 1915 vehicle produced by the founder of the Oldsmobile automotive company, Ransom E. Olds. The resulting Nuclear Corporation of America, Inc., diversified and purchased other companies to become a conglomerate, spreading into an array of fields including prefabricated housing and steel joist manufacturing in addition to nuclear services. You can also get our free newsletter, follow us on Facebook & Pinterest. Producers will come in and want to make you commercial, or punk, or this or that, but it just isnt us. What was REO Speedwagon's first #1 single? ""It's R-dot-E-dot-O-dot Speed-wagon REO Speedwagon!" Songwriting and music has always been my savior in that way. The opening line may be even more important than the title. Two years later, Olds claimed that he had built the best car he could, a tourer able to seat two, four, or five, with a 3035hp (2226kW) engine, 112 inches (2,845mm) wheelbase, and 32 inches (81cm) wheels, for $1,055 (not including top, windshield, or gas tank, which were US$100 extra); self-starter was $25 on top of that. [8], The 1931 Reo Royale was a trendsetting design, introducing design elements that were a precedent for true automotive streamlining in the American market. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), The Rolling Stones: Charlie Is My Darling DVD Review. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. I think the main reason that I got the gig, was that REO had released one album, and they were working on songs for their second album for Epic Records. [11] Richrath also left early the next year, with Miles Joseph filling in for a show before Dave Amato took over in May. 50 Years Later, REO Speedwagon Keeps On Rollin' The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! I was kind of a late bloomermusic was my vehicle. I had just stopped at a truck stop in New MexicoI had a brown paper bag that was sitting on the seat next to me, when the thoughts of the lyrics started coming to me. Were gonna do it and its gonna be hot.. Hi Fidelity alone produced four Top-10 hits for the group, with two hitting Number One: "Keep on Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling." REO Speedwagon has recorded 16 studio albums which have sold a total of more than 40 million units. The name "REO Speedwagon" refers to Ransom Eli Olds, the founder of Oldsmobile. Kevin and Lisa share the story of their storybook romance and secret to their successful 24-year marriage. Before they met, Gratzer was a drummer in high school and played in a local group on the weekends while Doughty was studying the Beatles songs closely using his parents piano. So that was special. Note: This article may feature affiliate links, and purchases made may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Although truck orders during World War II enabled it to revive somewhat, the company remained unstable in the postwar era, resulting in a bankruptcy reorganization. Founding member of REO Speedwagon dies | FOX 2 But it would be fun to have some success as a co-writer. Temporary guitarist Bill Fiorio later found fame under the name Duke Tumatoe. REO Speedwagon skyrocketed to fame in 1980 with their chart topping album, Hi Infidelity. Today Mark and Cristina welcome REOs lead singer, Kevin Cronin and his beautiful wife Lisa. I wrote Time For Me To Fly on the guitarmost of my songs I write on the acoustic guitar. The Top 40 album was produced by Cronin and Richrath who also, together and individually, wrote the whole of the album (with one exception, Runnin Blind, co-written by Richrath and Debbie Mackron). I appreciate the well-researched background story on REO Speedwagon here, and the links. Were happy with the sound, because we got what we wanted rather than what some producer wanted. 3 favorites all in one evening! Whenever any two people work closely together it brings about a sort of creative tension. Richrath was from Peoria, IL and was an amazing songwriter who wrote fresh material for the band, even driving 100 miles to see and become a part of the band. Although he has never been one of REO Speedwagon's primary songwriters, Doughty has written or co-written several of the band's songs. The band formed when drummer Alan Gratzer and keyboardist Neal Doughty, a couple of students at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, got together to jam after class.

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